Combination switch



May14,1929 ,A, N i 1312563' COMBINATION SWITCH Filed May 6, 1926 Inventr 0. fl fo/wa Attorney &3

Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES OTIS A. JONES, or serr JOSE, ILLINOIS.

COMBINA'I'ION SWITCI-I.

Application filed 'May e, 1926. Serial No. ezim.

This invention relates to ignition switches particularly adapted for use on motor vehicles and especially of a switch to this character requiring a combination of numbers adapted to be set in i'redetermined rclation 'for closing the circuit.

An object of the in'vention resides in providing a combination switch which includes a base member and a plurality of relatively rotatable circuit controlling members so coni tructed as to conceal the position of the contact and prevent access to the assembling means so that it is necessary to know a co1nbination of numbers provided on the exposed face of the member in order to close the circuit controlled by the switch.

'l`he invention further con'prehends the provision of a base member with a plurality of interfitting relatively rotatable disks provided with number combinations and interchangeable contact members for controlling the circuit through the switch in a predete`rmined manner. i

'f he invention includes numerous other objects residin; in the details of construction and arrangement of parts for carrying out the invention, which are more particularly pointed out in the following detailed descrip- 'ion and claims directcd to a preferred form of COHStl'UCtlO-D, it being understood, however, that various changes in the size shape and relation of these parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as heroin set forth.

In the drawing forming part of this app1ication l3`igure 1 is a front elevetion of the switch Construction of this invention. i

Fi 2 is e Vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a front elevetion of the base plate i; showing the position of the Contacts therein.

Fig. i is e, front elevationof the rotatable contact membe' udapted to fit iii the recess in the base member and showing the detail constructi n thereof. i

i\ i Figi 5 is a detail elevation of the rotery contact member which .nterfits in the face bers 5 are mounted in the counter sink of the holes 4 and have stems 6 extending through the holes andprojecting beyond the rear face of the base plate. The stens 6 are threaded to receive suitable securing nuts 7 for mounting the Contacts in the base plate and securing wire connections for the electric circuits to be controlled thereto. The heads of the Contacts 5 ere concave as illustrated at 6 in Fig. 2 for a purpose which will be explained.

A primary control disk is illustrated at 8 which is annular in form as shown in Fig. tin detail and is adepted to rotatably fit in the recess 2 of the base plate. This primary control member or disk is formed with a recess 9 in its front face and the central portion with an opening 10 adapted to register with the opening 3 in the base plate while concentrically of the opening 10 are a plurality of counter-sunk opcnings llarranged in concentricrelation and adapted for axial alinement with the openings t of the base plate.

These counter-sunk openings 11 are adapted to removably receive socket members 12 having concave closed ends at 13 and slidably recciving and housing studs 14- which are projected through the rear face of the disk by coiled springs 15 positioned in the socket member. 'The studs 14 are adapted to be projected beyond the rear face of this pri: mary controlling disk for fitting cooperation in the concave faces 6 of the contact members 5 of thebase plote and are adapted to normally retain the primary control disk 8 against the rotation in the base plate.

The outer edge of the control member 8 is provided with suitable indicia indicated at 15 adapted to form part of the controlling combination of the switch and indicates the i position of the Contacts in the openings 11. A secondary control member or diskis" illustrated at 16 in Fig. 5, which of a` size adapted to rotatably fit inthe recess 9 of the control member 8 and is similar in con-,` `struction to the member 8 in having` a recess 17 in its front face, an opening l8in the cen i tral portion thereof, and a pluralityof counter-sunit bores 19 arranged in circumferential relation and in the same spaced relation as the openings 11 of the control member 8 so that in one position they will be alined therewith. A pair of contact members 20 are interchangeably mounted in the openings 19 and have sockets formed therein for slidably reeeiving the contact studs 21 which are projected through the rear face of the control 'disk by a coiled spring 22 mounted in the socket of the members.

These contact members are suitably joined by a flexible wire connection 23 to permit interchanging of the positions of the contact members in any of the openngs in any predetermined relation and to complete the cir cuit therebetween.

A retaining disk 24 is adapted to rotatably fit within the recess 17 of the secondary control disk 16 and 'is preterably tormed ot molded material formed over the bolt 25 which is adapted to project through the openings3, 10 and 18 and rotatably mount the primary and secondary control disks in assembled relation on the base plate as shown in Fgs. 1 and 2. The end portion of the bolt lS threaded to receive a nut and retainng Washer 26 which is positioned in the assembledrelation of the parts of the base i plate' 1.

This switch Construction is particularly adapted to provide an ignition control switch tor automobiles and. it is to be understood that it may as well be adapted for numerous other purposes in controlling'eleetric circuits. For this purpose the circuitsto be controlled are connected to the stems 6 of the contact members 5 in a predetermined manner and prefera'bly to a pair of the Contacts which may be a any pair of the group mounted in the base plate.

For the purpose :of illustration, it may be assumed that thecircuit wires of the ignition system or other electrical circuitare connected to the-Contacts 5 in the base plate as are represented by the indicia l and 3 as indicated at 27 on the face of the base plate adjacent to the recess 2. To form a combination switch for controlling this circuit, the combination will be etlected by selecting any two of the desired openings 11 in the primary control disk 8 and placing a pair of contact members 12 therein which for example are placed opposite 'the indicia 4 and 6. The contact members 20' are then arranged in a similar relationin any pair of openings as shown in Fg. 5,*whieh for illustration, are positioned opposite the numbers G and 8 onthe edge of the disk.

With the'part assembled as' in Fig. 1, it will' be seen' thatunless the combination is known the disk cannot be placed in the proper relation on the base disclosed in circuit between the Contacts 5 opposite the numerals 1 and It is therefore necessary to know the combination of the switch as above described, which is 1-3, et and 6-8. Persons authorized to operate the switch will accordingly know this combination, and will accordingly operate the control disk 8 to bring the numerals 4 and 6 on the edge of the disk into registry with the numerals 1 and 3 on the base plate, and will then operate to control the secondary control disk 16 to bring the numerals 6 and S into registry with the numerals 1 and 3 on the base plate.

This will positionthe Contacts so that the contact members 12 of' the control disk 8 will be in alinement with the pairs of contaets 5 to which the circuit is connected and makes circuit therewith, while the Contacts members 22 will be engaged with. the contact members 12 in the control disk S SO that the eircuit will be closed by the cooperation of the contact members n both of the control (hSks and the base member. ln this way a switch eonstrue tion is provided using :1 combination instead of a key in which persons authorized to operate the automobile, when the device is used as an ignition switch, can readily position the parts to close the ignition switch and operate the motor Vehicle in the usual manner.

From the above description it should be readily apparent that it would be almost impossible to close the circuit controlled by this combination switch without knowing the combination and that unauthorized persons in attempting to steal an automobile equipped with an ignition switch of. this type would have to disassemble the entire switch construction from the automobile before the combination could be solved and the switch operated to close the circuit. This would take a substantial amount of time and as a result would often result in the apprehension of the thief.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:-

In a combination switch a base plate having an annular recess formed in its outer surface, a plurality of pern'utation discs of successively stepped diameters arranged in snperposed relation with the large discs rotatably seated in said recess, and with the outer surfaces of said discs formed with an annular recess for rotatably receiving the adjacent discs, each ot said discs being adapted *for rotation independent of each other, a control disc rotatably seated in the reeess of the smaller outermost disc, means 'I'or operatively mounting said control disc with respect to said permutation discs and contact members` for said permutation discs adpted to be, alined whereby to transmit an electrie eurrent therethrough.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 

